The Cure For Spiritual Blindness

Please turn with me now to 2 Peter 1 as we continue to look in our series of messages on the subject of Christian growth.

If you have been with us you will know that the theme we are dealing with is simply titled “Christian, Grow Up!” That’s all it is. “Christian, Grow Up!” And today we are looking at 2 Peter 1:9 and the title of our message is ‘The Blinding Effect of Forgetting God’s Grace.’

As usual we will begin reading from 2 Peter 1:5 and we will go all the way to verse 9. Verse 5 because primarily this aspect of what you should add to your faith is dealt with. And then finally verse 9 is our text this morning.

2 Peter 1:5-9

The Bible reads there: “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For whoever lacks these qualities is so short-sighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.”

We All Have The Same Potential

But what we are really looking at in this passage is the realisation that God has provided for each one of us who are his children that which we need for our spiritual growth. In other words, the potential that is in me for my own growth is precisely the same potential that is in you. There ultimately is no reason why you should be a spiritual toddler after the same number of years as somebody else who is now so mature that so many people are looking up to him, or to her.

God has provided for each one of us who are his children that which we need for our spiritual growth.

Because the potential is the same.

We have seen that in the words of verse 3 where the Bible says: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” That’s what God has done. To all of us. He’s given it to us and consequently it is now up to us to keep adding to this faith the various qualities that we see in the scriptures.

We Must Grow To Be Fruitful

The qualities of knowledge, and self-control and steadfastness and so on. All these qualities are God-given, which we should be actively seeking to grow in, so that God might be glorified in us.

Well last time we noted in verse 8 that although the Apostle Peter has couched his words in negative statements, actually the statement itself is a positive. In other words, he uses two negatives in order to make the point that there is something positive that should be true about all of us. And what is that? That we must possess these qualities in increasing measure. And as a result of it we will be fruitful. We will be effective.

We notice that in verse 8: “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The point there is that they make you effective and fruitful. If we possess them and if we indeed grow in them.

Circumstances Cannot Stop You!

What we did last week was really to apply this to the COVID-19 situation. To show how if you are increasing in these qualities, it doesn’t matter what the outward circumstances will be like. You will indeed be still seeking to glorify God in your life. To be a means of blessing to other people.

Yes, it might mean endangering your life. It might mean a lot of sacrifice on your part, but you will be so gripped by wanting to live for God that all these things will not stop you. You become unstoppable.

The one who has these qualities and increasing, is one who is a trail blazer for Christ.

Verse 9 is the exact opposite of verse 8. You can easily see it. In verse 8 we read “if these qualities are yours and are increasing.” Verse 9 says “for whoever lacks these qualities.” So you have two opposite situations. The one who has these qualities and increasing, is one who is a trail blazer for Christ. Is one who is striking blows for Jesus Christ. Is one who is indeed being effective and fruitful.

Question 1: Why Would Anyone Lack These Qualities?

And then Peter turns round to those who are in the opposite camp. And what is true about them – they lack. They lack. They lack these qualities.

And what we really want to see today is why would anybody end up in this way?

They Have Forgotten God’s Grace

And ultimately the answer is in the text itself. That they forget God’s grace. They forget God’s grace in pardoning them of their sins. Especially the reality of where they are coming from. They get so used to the Christian life that they lose the thrill, the sparkle, the joy of knowing that God has had mercy upon me.

Well let’s quickly look at this and trust that the Lord will truly minister to our hearts as we consider this point from the Apostle Peter.

First of all, it is the simple fact that too many believers – even today – too many believers lack these qualities beyond this saving faith. And that’s what Peter has been warning here. We read in verse 9 the first part, as we read it so: “for whoever lacks these qualities.”

Many believers lack these qualities beyond this saving faith

What does Peter mean by this?

What Do People Associate With You?

Well, I touched on this a few weeks ago. That when Peter speaks about possessing these qualities, he is talking in terms of the way in which you own property; you own a house. It is something which is an ongoing possession. You live in it. People around identify you with that property. They say “this is where he lives” and so on.

It is not the way in which, for instance, a businessman will buy a car in order to quickly sell it and make quick money. So people don’t identify him with that car at all. Because it is something that he quickly gets and passes on, gets and passes on, and so on.

Peter is not thinking in terms of momentary acquisition of these qualities

Peter is not thinking in those terms. Momentary acquisition of these qualities. He is talking in terms of you possessing them in such a way that when people are describing you, they describe you in those terms. They will be speaking in terms of “you know, that brother who is so knowledgeable.” “That sister who is so godly.” “That brother who is so loving.” You are identified by these qualities.

Examples Of Some Who Have Not Grown

And yet let’s face it brethren, that we all know many professing Christians whose lives cannot be described in these terms. No, no, no. A thousand times no. Individuals that as you’ve come to know them over years, they don’t seem to grow in their Christian knowledge.

And when you are with them in Bible studies they are always not wanting to speak, until you are out there in the world and speaking about the news, suddenly they come alive! Because that’s what they thrive on. The information in the news rather than in this good, old book.

Today, there’s no difference between them and the person who’s never been truly saved.

You cannot speak in terms of them being self controlled. Because literally any situation causes them to react and over react. Losing their temper at almost anything. You cannot describe them as being steadfast. Yes, you remember once upon a time when they were living for Christ, and you were doing evangelism together. They were striking some blows for Jesus.

The Sadness Of A Lukewarm Faith

But that is no longer the case. Today, there’s no difference between them and the person perhaps who’s never been truly saved. They are there, but they’ve clearly become completely lukewarm. I can continues with these virtues and these qualities that are being spoken about here. Godliness, brotherly affection, love, you cannot speak of them in these terms. And I want to repeat – that’s extremely sad.

They are professing believers yes, but it seems it is easier to describe them in the opposite ways. In other words to speak of them in terms of the fact that they are full of worldly pleasures. To speak of them in terms of the fact that they are individuals who simply want to acquire more and more and more of the world’s goods. That’s all that you seem to see in them.

You are together in church yes. But clearly, when they are in church, they are absent minded. Because that’s not where their hearts are. And as soon as they are out there they come alive. Because it’s the things of the world that primarily occupy them.

Is This You?

I wonder whether I’m describing you today?

I wonder whether this is true about you? That you are not a person who challenges fellow believers concerning what true spiritual growth is all about. You are not in that category. If anything, you are more an individual that pulls them down. You are more an individual that causes them to be corrupted, and worldly, whenever you are with them. It is easier to describe you, in the words of scripture, that bad company ruins good morals. That in the end, that is what you are.

Well that’s the situation that Peter is describing here when he says “For whoever lacks these qualities.” And if that describes you, then just bear in mind that you are the kind of person I have in mind as I am preaching this series. And it is to you that I am saying, Christian, grow up!

Christian, Grow Up!

Yes. You cannot go on living this way. This is not the way Christianity is meant to be lived. No! You’d better put those childish ways behind you. Those immature ways behind you. Those worldly ways behind you. Put them away. And instead, begin to show the qualities that have been described in 2 Peter 1 verse 5, verse 6 and verse 7.

That people can describe you that way – because that has now become the property that you own.

Why Would Someone Live Like This?

Well let’s go on. Because we need to ask two questions. First of all, why would anyone be content with that kind of life? Scraping the floor so to speak. Instead of going higher, and higher, and higher in spiritual things. Why would anyone be content with this? Well it is because of being short-sighted and spiritually blind. That’s what Peter goes on to tell us here.

So Short-Sighted As To Be Blind

Listen to verse 9: “For whoever lacks these qualities is so short-sighted that he is blind.” He is so near-sighted that he is blind. What does he mean by this? Well near-sighted is really the equivalent of being short-sighted. In other words, the person seems to only see the things that are very, very near to him.

These are people who fail to see that which is spiritual and eternal.

Now, we’ve all come to realise this – that sometimes people wear glasses and then when they are about to read they take them off in order to read. Other people wear glasses and it is when they are about to read that’s when they put on those glasses to read. And you say to yourself, “but eh, why is somebody taking off glasses to read?” Well it’s because they are near-sighted. Their eyes don’t need help to see what is near. But the moment something is distant, it is all blurred. They can’t quite make out what is over there, and consequently they need to put on their glasses.

Overwhelmed With The Immediate

Well that’s the kind of picture that Peter is talking about here. He’s talking about individuals who cannot see beyond the immediate context. What has he got in mind here? He obviously has in mind the fact that these are people who are so conscious of the physical realities around them, that they fail to see that which is spiritual and eternal. They can’t see that. They are overwhelmed with the immediate. They are overwhelmed with what is in the news today. That is what has captivated them.

We’ll open that up a little bit. But Peter goes on to say that they are so near-sighted, that they are as good as blind. “For whoever lacks these qualities is so short-sighted that he is blind.”

The spiritual lines are there, but he no longer thinks along spiritual lines.

In other words, he’s not really blind. But he is so myopic – his eyes can only see here – that the moment that you go a few metres beyond it’s as good as if he’s blind. He cannot make out anything of what is beyond a metre or two. And so literally you have to lead him wherever he is going. Because if you do not lead him he will soon knock things over. Not because he is blind, but because he is as good as blind. The near-sightedness is quite extreme.

In other words, if we can again apply it to the spiritual realm, it is the fact that these physical things of the world have become such a reality that the person no longer functions along spiritual lines. No longer thinks along spiritual lines. The spiritual lines are there, but he no longer thinks along spiritual lines. He is overwhelmed with his physical reality.

There Are Only ‘Physical’ Plans

In other words all he thinks about is “I need to finish my school. I need to get a job. I need to marry. I need to have children. And while I’m working I should make more and more and more money and get promoted, and finally own the very business that I am involved in. And so forth… and own properties, and own powerful cars, and own real estates here and there and so on.” That’s the thing that overwhelms him. That’s what is in his plans.

And when anything happens in the negative that affects the economy, that affects job acquisition… some disease that comes into his life, into the family’s life and consequently there is a loss perhaps of a child or a spouse and so on, this person is completely knocked off course. Because that’s all that had occupied this person. “I need to get this, I need to get that, I need to get this” and it’s all in the physical realm! And therefore when something dislodges that, the person is equally ineffective.

Ineffective when chasing up the things of the world. Ineffective now when the things of the world are snatched away from such a life.

There’s No Spirituality

There’s no spirituality. And even if you were to go to the person and try to share God’s word in order to encourage and comfort in the moment that they are frowning providences, the person is unable to relate. There is a hard crust around the heart. The person feels as though God is unfair. God hates me. And so on and so forth, because my agenda seems to have been disturbed by the recent happening.

Church is boring! Because your subject matter is not about how to be successful in this world!

So short-sighted that the person has become blind.

This Is Not The Christian Life

And as a result, even when the person is in church and you are preaching, and preaching, and preaching eternal realities, the person cannot identify. Church is boring! Because your subject matter is not about how to be successful in this world!

And the person would rather quickly leave, because you are speaking about sin and salvation. You are speaking about sanctification. You are speaking about the way in which God wants us to live a life of obedience to Him; a life of commitment to him in this world. It’s not touching him at all! There’s a sense in which he feels “this is the wrong place for me. I want to be in a place where I will be taught about how to be successful, how to be great, in this world’s terms.

Look Rather To Unseen Things

You see such a person is definitely not living the Christian life. The Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4 puts it this way about the way Christians live. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18:

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day

Now what is he talking about here? He is talking about Christians who are going through a very difficult time. – including himself. And he’s saying that we are not discouraged. We are not overwhelmed with these difficulties that we are currently going through. We don’t lose heart about it.

Yes, it’s true that in the immediate physical context we are wasting away, we are suffering, we are not denying that – that’s true! But he is saying because we are not near-sighted, because our eyes are set further – we’ve got our spiritual lenses on. We are seeing spiritual realities on the inner mind. Actually we are being renewed, we are being refreshed. We are growing into maturity because of these same circumstances. That’s what he’s saying.

Light and Momentary Afflictions

And again, because his eyes are looking beyond the immediate – they are seeing the far distant spiritual realities – he looks at what he is going through and he calls them “light and momentary afflictions.”

Now I want to assure you that what he is talking about, if we were going thorough them, most of us would be saying “I think, let me just die.” Let me give you an example of it. Let us quickly just go to 2 Corinthians 11. This is what he is calling “light and momentary afflictions.” I begin reading from verse 23:

“Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labours, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. ²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; ²⁷ in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”

Gaining Perspective

These are “light and momentary afflictions.” I know it doesn’t sound like that.

Well you see again it’s because Paul is speaking in comparison. He is comparing to what? Well here is the way he puts it. It’s preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” That’s what causes him to see this as “light and momentary.”

His eyes are far-sighted. He is seeing an eternity with incomparable weight of glory being given.

It’s because his eyes are not blind. His eyes are not myopic. His eyes are far-sighted. And he is seeing what will happen as a result of these afflictions on the other side. And he is seeing an eternity with incomparable weight of glory being given.

And that’s the reason that he goes on to say here, that we “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

The Plight Of The Worldly Believer

Well you see the worldly believer is the exact opposite. Because the person is myopic. They are not seeing spiritual things. They are not seeing eternal things. So, the moment there’s some affliction; some disturbance from the plans, it is “That’s it! That’s it! I’m giving it all up.” Why? It is because of this short-sightedness to the point of blindness.

Are You Living For Worldly Things?

Let me ask you, what are you living for today? What are you living for? What’s your passion? When you wake up in the morning, what’s the thing that drives you out of bed and gets you rolling out there in the world. What is it? The things of this world? Sadly, those are transient, they are momentary, they will soon be gone. Or is it spiritual, eternal things. What is it?

Because ultimately, if it is the things of this world then that explains it. It explains the lack of growth! The lack of spiritual growth. It explains it!

This Is Spiritual Blindness

Why would you even be concerned about spiritual excellence, about spiritual knowledge – about being self-controlled and steadfast? Why would you even be concerned about all those things? Because they’ve got nothing to do with the things of the world that you are chasing after. Nothing!

And so you’ll give every excuse for why you are not studying your Bible, for why you are not reading Christian books. For why you are not attending Bible studies, for why you are missing all these things, you’ll give every excuse. The truth of the matter is this. You are so near-sighted that you are blind. Blind. That’s the word God says – blind. What a pitiful state you are in – blind.

I said that was the first question. Why would anyone be content with this?

Question 2: What Causes This Blindness?

Here’s the second question. What is it that causes this blindness? What is it?

Well, it’s forgetting God’s pardoning grace to us sinners. When you forget God’s pardoning grace this is what happens. Let’s go back to 2 Peter 1:9. “For whoever lacks these qualities is so short-sighted that he is blind” and then here is where it’s all coming from, “having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.”

Forgetting Your Original Cleansing

“Having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” In other words, the root cause of all this in a believers life, is the disconnect that takes place in the person’s mind in terms of ‘this is who I am because of what God did for me in Christ Jesus.’ That disconnect.

And when he is talking here in terms of this pardon of cleansing – he is primarily not talking in terms of God forgiving us on a daily basis as we sin against him and go for pardon – he is referring to that day when you were translated from darkness to light. When you were translated from death to life.

When you were an object of the wrath of God. When you were a three-fold slave to the devil, to the world and to your own sinful nature. When there was absolutely no hope for you to find a place in heaven. Because you were dead. Yes, dead. Spiritually dead.

That Moment of God’s Great Mercy

And then God, out of mercy, reached out and saved you.

And if you are a believer today, you should be able to look back – as the hymn writer says: “yes, I spent in vanity and pride, caring not that my Lord was crucified. Knowing not it was for me he died on Calvary.” And then the hymn writer goes on to say “by God’s word at last my sin I learned, then I trembled at the law I had spurned! Until my guilty soul imploring, turned to Calvary.”

If you are a Christian today, you know what I am talking about.

In other words, at that point there was only one reality. ‘I’ve sinned against God, I deserve to go to Hell!’ But as a soul, you came to know that this God of heaven whose wrath was hanging over you, has taken his own son – best of heaven! And sent him here on earth to suffer in a world of sin. To be hunted like a wild animal, literally from birth! And finally to be nailed to a cross, the most excruciating form of punishment at that time. Literally hanging you up to dry on nails as pegs.

But it was more than that. That the wrath of a sin-hating God should now have been poured on him to it’s very dregs. Until he cried “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

Liberty at Calvary

And to realise that it was for my sin. My sin. That’s why he remained hanging there – for my sin. That’s why he finally said “it is finished” (John 19:30). He was paying the price for my sin. And as you knelt upon your knees before that cross, you could say mercy there, with grace. And grace was free. Pardon there was multiplied to me. Multiplied 1000 times, a million times, trillions, multiplied. In gigabytes – multiplied. There, my burdened soul found liberty – at Calvary.

Now, my ruptured soul can only sing of Calvary.

If you are a Christian today, you know what I am talking about. You know that from that point you rose up and said ‘now I have given to Jesus everything. Everything! Now I’m gladly owning him as my king. I want to live for him! In everything!’ Now, my ruptured soul can only sing of Calvary.

Your Early Days…

Do you remember those days? Do you remember those days? When your soul was overwhelmed with the grace of God? That the only thing you wanted to do in life was to tell the whole world about Christ, the whole world about the grace of God? You wanted the whole world to know! That God pardons sinners. That was your bread, that was your drink, that was your everything! Because you had yourself experienced it.

Your spiritual eyes were opened, you saw spiritual things as very real

Your spiritual eyes were opened, you saw spiritual things as very real. More real to you than the physical things that were around you. Your eyes were opened.

Glory and Damnation Were So Real!

You saw eternal things as more real than the temporal things around you. And that was the reason why eternal damnation shook you to the core! Until you sought the saviour. And then eternal glory has excited you, to the point when you say ‘it’s worth suffering for this, it’s worth dying for it. This is what Life with a capital ‘L’ is all about.’

Focus Your Eyes On The Cross

That’s where you came from. And that’s what Calvary is meant to produce in our lives. That’s the reason why in the Christian Church the two ordinances are all about the cross! Baptism and the Lord’s supper – they all point us back to the cross!

In fact, borrow the words of Jesus, he himself said “do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19-20) In remembrance of me – in remembrance of my body broken for you. In remembrance of my blood shed for you. “Do this in remembrance of me.” So that this reality can remain the focus of our eyes. That our spiritual eyes – which is what faith is – it’s spiritual sight – that it might be focused, riveted, on the cross. On the grace of God that pardons sinners.

And from there the rest is going to flow.

Look At What This Produces…

That’s what Paul told Titus in Titus 2:14 that this is what Calvary was meant to produce.

Titus 2:11-13: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” In other words the same present, fallen ¹³waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ

So that’s where our eyes are. we are in the departure lounge. Our eyes are fixed on the clouds as it were. Beyond the clouds, into heaven itself, where our saviour will come – any day now. And if he’s delayed, and death comes first, well, we will then meet him in Heaven itself.

That’s what Calvary does. It produces a people that are zealous – passionate – about serving Christ.

Our eyes are fixed there. But our eyes are not just fixed there – our eyes are fixed backwards. To what? Calvary.

Passionate, Zealous, Fruitful Service for Christ

Look at what he says in verse 14: “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” That’s what Calvary does. It produces a people that are zealous – they are passionate – about serving Christ. They are effective. They are fruitful! You can’t miss it.

Why? Because they are deliberate about their growth – their spiritual growth. And that’s what produces all this.

The Problem With Baby Believers

So let’s get back to our diagnosis.

1. We’ve got too many believers who after many years in the Christian life are still thumb sucking and in their napkins. Other believers are still having to change their napkins. Disaster!

Why? Well we’ve learned that they are concentrating on things that will perish with use. Things which once they die, that’s it! That’s what they’re concentrating on. The immediate things. And they’ve lost sight of the things that are spiritual, the things that are eternal.

They’ve begun to take their Christian lives for granted. They forgot the price that was paid to bring them in.

Well we’ll go a step further.

Why have they lost sight of these things? When at one time they were living realities to them? Well it’s because they no longer think about the great transaction which took place when the Lord saved them. They’ve lost sight of that. They’ve begun to take their Christian lives for granted. They forgot the price that was paid to bring them in. They’ve lost that smell – that aroma – of taking off their grave clothes and putting on the righteousness of Christ – with that beautiful heavenly aroma – they’ve lost sight of it.

What a terrible state to be in. The consequence of forgetting the grace of God.

Remember God’s Divine Love

Because the truth is, when you are there, and divine love – the infinite and marvellous and matchless grace of God – is pouring upon your soul in torrents, something of it’s mercy and love and grace as you see yourself dropping off that huge burden of sin. In the words of John Bunyan in The Pilgrim’s Progress and jumping into the air with three shouts of hallelujah!

Love divine causes our hearts to want to love Him back

Friends, love divine causes our hearts to want to love Him back. That’s what happens – we want to love him back. We want to be the best for God – yes.

And that’s where virtue comes in, and that’s when we want to gain more, and more knowledge. Because we know that without knowledge, we cannot be the best for Him. So, we want to dig in into the scriptures, dig in into Christian books, dig in into whatever the sources of knowledge might be. Because we know that that’s the way we can be the best for Him.

We want to go into the battlefront and we know that we’re going to be weary in fighting. And consequently, we gird up our loins as it were, with self-control and steadfastness. So that finally, we can truly be a godly people. It is out of love that we want to do all that, out of love.

Living For God Again

Have you lost that first love, have you? That you had as you walked from darkness to light, from death to life. Have you lost it? Oh, that today – today right now – at the end of this message, you might get away from everybody, close yourself up with God, and remind yourself afresh of what it cost him – in his grace. – to save you.

His marvellous, infinite, and matchless grace. That out of that you might be a person who will arise and say ‘I want to live for this God who has loved me so much.’ May that be true of you, beginning today. Amen.